Blade disinfecting device for pruning shears



Dec. 15, 1931. H. w. ATKINS 1,836,009

BLADE DISINFEGTING DEVICE FOR PRUNING SHEARS Filed May 31, 1930 INVENTOR H. VIZ/1th ins tionis to provide a blade disinfecting device to the usual operating handlefi.

shears; and which when .thus applied need ing for the Patented Dec." 15, 1931 I I I K UNITED srA'resrAreNT OFFICE 'HENRY w. ATKINS, or noon, earn-01mm BLADE msinrnorme DEVICE son :enunme snmns Application filed Kay 31, 1980. Serial No; 458,054.

This inventionv relates to device for keep- In the drawings similar characters of refin the cutting blade of a pruning shears diserence indicate corresponding parts in the infected while in use, and is particularly several views: valuable for use in the pruning of pear trees Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of affected with pear blight, or in other trees or 'a pruning shears showing my disinfecting atplants having diseases of'a similar nature. tachment applied thereto and in position to When trees are pruned in such diseased conengage and disinfect the cutting blade.

dition the good Wood is easily infected with Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the loca the blight if the shears are not disinfected, tion of the attachment when the lades are m and areused first to prune a diseased limb brought together'in a cuttingaction. w and then immediately after used to prune Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the frame healthy-wood. The danger of this infection portion of the attachment detached. is well recogniged by orchardists and it is Fig. 4 is a cross section of the attachment customary to dip the shears after each cut, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

into a receptacle containing a suitable dis- Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a infecting solution. Pruning operations howshears showing the device asformed integral ever are usually performed by hired help who with or permanently secured to the shears. are apt. to be careless and do not take the Referring now more particularly to the trouble to thus dip' the shears, or do so but characters of reference on the draw1ngs,-and

5 infrequently. As a result pruned trees freparticularly at present to'Figs. 1 to 45' the quently retain the disease and are soon in no. pruning shears illustrated comprises the better condition than before the pruning. usual cooperating jaws land 2, the former One means of keeping the blades disinfectbeing of hook form and the'latter a convexed is shownin my PatentNo. 1.640,635 dated edged cutting blade of wedge" shaped cross 25 August 30, 1927; and whilethis structure is section. The jaws are pivotally mounted in very eflicient for its purpose, it necessitates connection with each other by the customary: the shears being ofspecial design and somebolt 3 which-passes through thes'hanks 4 and what expensive to manufacture. f the jaws 1 and 2 respectivelyd The principal, object of my present invenshanks beyond the'pivotal bolt are secured for the purpose which avoids the need or use My blade disinfecting device which is up. t

of any. special type of shears, since it is in plied to such standard'shears co rises a' the form of an attachment which may be palr of fingers 7' which are dispose to the readily applied to any, standard pruning sldes of the fpllane of the blade 2 and extendonly be dipped into the disinfecting solution ward edges of these fingers -or those which at relatively long intervals, instead of after face the aw 1 are curved to conform to the every cut. The device is so arranged that it curvature of the cutting edge of the blade 2.

1 does not interfere in any way with the manip- The fin ers are covered with absorbent and I 4 ulation or cutting action of the shears and S ongeike or compressible sleeves 8 of suit-I when its use is no longer necessary it may be a le fabric .or other material. These sleeves quickly removed. are removable from the fingers so that they 11 height of thesame. The for- A further object of the invention is to promay be easily replaced when worn out by vide a simple and inexpensive device and yet frictional engagement with the blade or de'- one which will be exceedingly effective for terioration from constant immersion in the Jo'following specification and claims. alinement with the shank 5 to a pointbe- .the purpose for which it is designed." v di inf ti l tio These objects I accomplish liy means of At their lower ends these fingers are rig. such structure and'relative arrangement of idly secured in common to an arm 9 which parts as will fully appear by a perusalof the extends aboveand insubstantially transverse 1 place.

yond the plane of swivel movement of said shank. At such end the arm is formed with a transversely offset right angle yoke or fork 1O whichis adapted to straddle the shank 4 and to be removably clamped thereto by bolts 11. These bolts pass through the yoke and not through the shank, so that it is not necessary to drill the shank or work on the same in any way when applying my attachment thereto.

The fingers are disposed at such an angle relative to the jaw 1 and shank 4, that when the jaws are spread wide apart, as is done prior to engaging the jaws with a limb to be pruned, the fingers and sleeves thereon will lie in transverse alinem'ent with the blade 2 and will project slightly ahead of the cutting edge of said blade as shown in Fig. 4. With the spreading or opening movement of the jaws the blade 2 backs in between the fingersleeves, the blade 2 is preferably ground off somewhat along the sides so as to remove the sharp edges usually found and thus facilitate the entrance of the blade into the space between the sleeves. The fingers are preferably of resilient material so that they can flex in a transverse plane. They may therefore spread the necessary extent to allow the thick back portion of the blade to pass therebetween, and will then close aboutthe thin or sharp edged portion. In this manner the entire surface of the blade is engaged with the sleeves which are maintained saturated with disinfecting solution. The sleeves are thick enough and of an absorbent nature so as-to retain a reasonable amount of the solution therein, or so as to properly disinfect the blade even after numerous engaglng movements of the blade with the sleeves has taken The fingers being rigid with the body 1 i i/and being always as far from the same as is .the blade 2 when the jaws are widely separated, they olfer no interference with the engagement of the shears with a limb or with the cutting action of the blade.

Ifdesired the finger-securing arms 9 may be formed with or permanently secured to the jaw shank 4a at a suitable point as illustrated at 9a in Fig. 5.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

' While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail'may be reslbrted to as; do not form a departure from the spirit ofy'the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desireto secure by Letters'Patent isz' i 1. A blade disinfecting attachment for a as will beevident. The back edge of pruning shears having cooperating jaws, one of which is formed as a cutting blade, said attachment including liquid retaining elements disposed to the sides of the cutting blade to contact with the cutting edge thereof on both sides, and means for mounting said elements in a fixed position relative to the other jaw of the shears.

2. A blade disinfecting attachment for a pruning shears having cooperating jaws one of which is formed as a cutting blade, said attachment including liquid retaining elements disposed to the sides of the cutting blade to contact with the cutting edge thereof on both sides, transversely resilient fingers supporting said elements; and a rigid support for said fingers secured in connection with the other jaw of the shears.

3. A blade disinfecting attachment for a pruning shears having cooperating jaws, one of which is formed as a cutting blade, said attachment including liquid retaining elements disposed to'the sides of the cutting blade to contact with the cutting edge there.

of on both sides. said elements being in the form of sleeves, relatively rigid fingers projectiug into the sleeves and supporting the same. and a rigid support to which the lower ends of the fingers are secured.v said support being adapted to be secured to the shank of the other jaw of the shears.

4. A blade disinfecting attachment for a pruning shears having cooperating j aws. one of which is formed as a cutting blade. said attachment including liquid retaining elements disposed to the sides of the cutting blade to contact with the cutting edge thereof on both sides. fingers supporting said elements, an arm to which the lower ends of the fingers are secured extending in the transverse plane of the shank of said blade but out of the path of movement ofythe shank. and .an oflset yoke on the outer end of the armada-pted to straddle and be clamped onto the shank of the other jaw of the shears. V

5. A blade disinfecting attachment for a pruning shears having cooperating aws. one of which is formed as a cutting blade, said attachment including liquid retaining elements disposed to the sides of the cutting blade to contact with the cutting edge thereof on both sides. and means for mounting said elements in fixed relation to the other jaw and in a position such as to engage the blade only when the jaws are spread apart.

6. A blade disinfecting device for a pruning shears having co-operating jaws, one of which is formed as a cutting blade: said device including a liquid retaining elementhaving a longitudinal curvature symmetrical to that of the cutting edge of the blade, and

means to mount said element in connection with the shears so that the blade will contact throughout its length with the said element when the blade is in a retracted position.

7. A blade disinfecting device for a pruning shears having co-operating jaws, one of 5 which is formed asa cutting blade; said device including a liquid retaining element having a longitudinal curvature symmetrical to that of the cutting edge of the "blade, and means to mount said element in connection 19 with the shears in contacting relationto the blade alon said edge when the blade occupies a pre etermined position relative to the other jaw of the shears. 8. A blade disinfecting device for a prun- 15 ning shears having co-operating jaws, one of which is formed as a cutting blade; said device including a liquid retaining element disposed to the side of the cutting blade tocontact with the cutting edge thereof,-and means 9 to mount said element in a fixed position relative to the other jaw of the blade.

9. A blade disinfecting device for pruning I shears having co-operating jaws, one of which is formed as a cutting blade;'said device including a liquid retaining element having a longitudinal curvature symmetrical to that of the cutting edge of the blade, and of hollow sleeve-like form open on one end, and means to mount said element on the shears D in position to engage the blade adjacent its cutting edge, said means including a finger to project into the element from its open end and removably supporting the element.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature.

HENRY -W. ATl l Ns. 

